Our Board

Sue-Ann Higgins

Executive Chair

LLB (Hons), BA, GradDip Company Secretarial Practice, GradDip Applied Finance and Investment

Ms Higgins is an experienced legal practitioner and company director, with diversified skills and global corporate experience, gained over 30 years of experience in executive and non-executive roles in the resources sector.

During that time, Ms Higgins has held senior legal and commercial roles with various listed entities, including ARCO Coal Australia Inc, WMC Resources Ltd, Oxiana Limited and is currently an Executive Director of Metal Bank Limited (ASX:MBK).

Ms Higgins is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD), Energy & Resources Law (formerly AMPLA) and the Governance Institute of Australia

Ms Higgins holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Law (Hons) from the University of Queensland, Graduate Diplomas in Company Secretarial Practice (Chartered Secretaries Australia) and Applied Finance and Investment (Securities Institute of Australia), has completed the Australian Graduate School of Management’s Executive Program on Risk Management and AICD’s International Company Directors Course.

Mick Wilkes

Independent Non-Executive Director

BEng(Hons), MBA, MAusIMM, MAICD

Mick Wilkes is an experienced mining executive and company director with more than 35 years of broad international mining experience coupled with a successful track record of leading the development and operation of greenfield mines.

Most recently in his executive career, Mick was the President and CEO of dual listed (ASX and TSX) OceanaGold Corporation (ASX: OGC) from 2011 to 2020 where he led the transformation from a single asset junior company to a multinational mid-tier producer with four operations across three countries.

In previous roles he was the Executive General Manager of Operations at OZ Minerals responsible for the development of the Prominent Hill copper/gold project in South Australia and General Manager of the Sepon gold/copper project for Oxiana based in Laos.

Mick is currently a Non-Executive Chair of Kingston Resources Limited (ASX: KSN), Non-Executive Director of Genesis Minerals Limited (ASX: GMD), and a member of the Sustainable Minerals Institute’s Advisory Board at the University of Queensland. He was previously the Chair of the Governance Committee and a member of the Administration Committee of the World Gold Council.

Miguel J Galindo

Non-Executive Director

MEngSc (Chem) majoring in Ceramic Technology; Post-graduate studies at London Business School (UK), Fuqua Business School at Duke University (USA) and INSEAD (Singapore).

Miguel is the founder and executive director of Galesk Consultancy, SL, an independent business consultancy specialised on industrial raw materials for the ceramics, glass, fertilizers and electric batteries’ sectors, with clients across Europe, America, Asia and Australia.

Miguel is a global executive with more than 30 years of experience in general management, operations, marketing, and sales in multinational companies in the natural resources sector, primarily at the Minerals Division of the Rio Tinto Group. His experience includes areas such as processing, logistics, strategic planning, marketing and sales, leading multi-disciplinary teams and multi-cultural teams in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, India, Southeast Asia, and the Americas. He has worked with a wide portfolio of products including borates, talc, zircon, salt, soda ash, lithium, kaolin, and ceramic clays.

Miguel has been a speaker at numerous international conferences, including Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, Holland, USA, India, Brazil and Mexico, and a professor in several programs in Spain and the United Kingdom. He has been a member of different Boards and Councils in Europe, including the Governing Council of the Institute of Ceramic Technology in Castellon and Boards at different Rio Tinto companies. Miguel is currently a Non-Executive Director at PortSur, the largest logistics operator at the Castellon Port in Spain and member of the Technical Committee of Qualicer, the International Congress on Ceramic Tile Quality.

Miguel serves as President of the Spanish Glass and Ceramics Society (SECV), a non-profit organisation that includes more than 200 scientists, researchers and technicians in the glass sectors. Established in 1960, the SECV focuses on promoting the scientifical progress on the glass and ceramic fields and is one of the founding members of the European Federation of National Ceramic Societies (ECERS).

Jean-Dominique (JD) Sorel

Non-Executive Director

BSc, MBA

Jean-Dominique (JD) Sorel is a senior executive in the mining and minerals sector, with over 45 years of experience across company leadership, operations, commerce and marketing, and has extensive experience in global metals and industrial minerals markets.

JD was previously Chief Operating Officer at Traxys Sarl (Traxys), an organisation that he led, developed and helped grow over a period of 16 years. Among other achievements, he developed substantial base metals and industrial mineral activities for Traxys.

Before joining Traxys, Mr Sorel also held the following executive positions:

• President of Metaleurop S.A., leading the Company and managing its commercial activities in the purchase of lead and zinc concentrates and sales of zinc, lead and silver doré
• Usinor Group (now ArcelorMittal), where he ran the ferro-alloys and non-ferrous metals purchasing desk
• Finance Director at Amax, Europe SA., which included monitoring the nickel ore properties in New Caledonia and the sale of Mt Newman iron ore in Europe and the Middle East.

JD is currently a director of Traxys Europe S.A. and was previously a director of Traxys UK Ltd and the Société Luxembourgeoise de Commerce International S.A, additionally, he was the Traxys Legal representative for the Group companies in China and Hong Kong.

JD graduated from Columbia University (NY) with a Bachelor of Sciences and an MBA and lives in Luxembourg.